Саша Максимофф
by wickedblack
Summary: What if the Maximoff twins had a little brother? Believed to be dead, along with his parents, Sasha Maximoff, comes back into the Maximoff twins' life in the most unexpected way.
1. Chapter 1

**Many thanks to MasseNa who was kind enough to help me and translate all the sentences I needed in Russian.**

* * *

 _ _Sokovia, 2000.__

The war didn't seem to end. It had been raging on for two years now and the country was a mess. A lot of people had fled but most of them had only met their end. Sokovia was a little country, hidden between Russia and Belarus. It used to be peaceful and people enjoyed living there, that is until the invasion. Sokovia had been ruled by Sokovians from the beginning and had Russia's support but five years ago, it was invaded by foreigners, __Americans__.

Sokovians had suffered from it all and two little years ago, a rebellion had formed. Rebels were trying hard to push Americans out of the country with very little success. Rebels were fighting and families were suffering.

The Maximoff family was no better than the others. Django and Marya Maximoff had three children: Pietro, Wanda and Sasha. Django was fighting with the rebels as often as he could but he had his family to take care of and he spent more time at home than in the streets lately. The man couldn't deny that he was scared for his family. The rebellion was getting out of hand and the Americans were fighting back, __hard__. They had taken to throwing bombshells in the streets and in the houses.

Django and Marya were scared for they had no way of defending themselves against the Americans. They were scared for their children's lives. Pietro and Wanda were ten years old while Sasha was only five. Sasha was born on the eve of the war and had known nothing but that. His short life was nothing but fire, screams, blood and death. Django and Marya had wanted to take their children and flee but they knew that as soon as they stepped foot out of Sokovia, they would be dead and so they had stayed, praying every day to see the next.

The Maximoff family was eating dinner in their small apartment when another bomb exploded, alarmingly close to their home, causing the walls to shake hard. "Мы умрём?" _ _(Are we going to die?)__ Sasha asked, his whole body trembling with fear as he bit his lower lip, trying to keep his tears at bay.

"Конечно, нет." _ _(Of course not__. _ _)__ Marya said, a reassuring smile on her face.

"Хорошо." __(Good__. _ _)__ Sasha looked down at his plate, a small frown on his face. "Я больше не голоден." __(I'm not hungry anymore.)__

"Может, пойдешь спать?" _ _(Do you want to go to bed?)__ Marya asked.

Sasha nodded, a single tear falling down his cheek. "А можно мне сегодня спать с Пьетро?" __(Can I sleep with Pietro tonight?)__

"Конечно, можно." _ _(Of course you can.)__ Pietro replied, a small smile on his face. He got up from his chair, abandoning his dinner as well and went to his little brother before picking him up. "Хочешь, я тебе сказку расскажу?" _ _(Do you want me to tell you a story?)__ Sasha nodded excitedly, all thought of war and death leaving his mind. He loved his brother's stories more than anything in the world, well in truth they were second best after his siblings. "Ты идешь, Ванда?" __(You coming, Wanda?)__

Pietro walked through the hallway, Sasha in his arms and Wanda right behind them. Pietro pressed Sasha's head against his chest, vainly trying to keep his baby brother from hearing their father's harsh words. "Почему он все время плачет? Постоянно боится! Это бесит." __(Why is he always crying? He's always afraid. It's not helping.)__ Their father growled out.

"Ему пять лет, Джанго." __(He's five years old, Django.)__ Marya scolded him. "Естественно, что он боится. Он все еще ребенок." __(Of course he's afraid. He's still a child.)__

Pietro closed his bedroom door before they could hear their father's reply. Sasha was fully sobbing in his arms now, his father's words hurting him beyond repair. "Иногда, я его ненавижу." _ _(I hate him sometimes.)__ Wanda mumbled as she sat on the bed.

"Я знаю." _ _(I know.)__ Pietro looked down at his little brother who was soaking his worn down shirt with tears. "Не слушай его. Плакать - это нормально, Саша." __(Don't listen to him. It's okay to cry, Sasha.)__

"Правда?" __(Really?)__ Sasha sobbed out as he looked up at Pietro. Pietro's heart ached every time he saw his little brother in such a state.

"Да." _ _(Yes.)__ Wanda said. "Я тоже иногда плачу." __(I cry sometimes too.)__

Pietro was about to say something else to make his little brother feel better but was cut off by their father screaming that there was a bomb. Sasha and Wanda screamed and Pietro had just enough time to shield his siblings with his own body before the bomb exploded, turning half of their home into shreds.

Pietro didn't move, he didn't dare to. Sasha and Wanda didn't move either, remaining hidden under Pietro's larger but still small body. Pietro didn't know how long they remained that way, and for a moment he thought that perhaps they were dead. The only thing he could feel was his siblings' bodies under his own, until he felt wind blow through his hair. There wasn't supposed be wind blowing in his room.

He took a deep breath and slowly lifted his head up. He gasped when he realized that the only thing left from their apartement was his room and a small part of the hallway, everything else was gone, inclusing their parents. But he couldn't think about it right now, he needed to get his siblings to safety. He noticed how close to the edge they were and he knew that if they fell, they would die.

He crawled slowly to the far wall. He pressed himself against the wall and then pressed Sasha and Wanda to his chest who refused to look up and see their home destroyed by the bomb.

 _"Мы умерли?"_ _ _(Are we dead?)__ Sasha mumbled into Pietro's chest.

"Нет, мы очень даже живы." __(No, we are very much alive.)__ Pietro whispered back.

Sasha and Wanda looked up at once, just in time to see another bomb drop at their feet. Their heart stopped and they closed their eyes in anticipation. They waited for the bomb to explode but it never did. They waited and waited but it never exploded.

Pietro knew that if they moved, the bomb would explode and he couldn't have that. "Не шевелись." __(Don't move.)__ He ordered his siblings.

"Пьетро, мне страшно!" _ _(Pietro, I'm scared.)__ Sasha mumbled as he buried his face into his brother's neck.

"Я знаю. Я рядом, ты в безопасности." __(I know, I'm here, you're safe.)__ Pietro said as he ran his fingers through his brother's messy hair in a soothing motion. A small frown appeared on Pietro's face as he stared at the bomb. It was gray with a few letters on it. Pietro's frown deepened as he could read: __Stark__. He vowed right then and there that if he managed to stay alive, he would find the one who had killed his parents and had put he and his siblings into such an awful situation, waiting for their death.

The night passed, and then the day, and the night, and the day, and the night. Next thing Pietro knew, it was the third day and they were still stuck in their ruined apartment. No one had come to rescue them and they were too scared to move. They didn't want for the bomb to explode. They didn't want to die.

Pietro looked down at his sleeping siblings. They were still curled up in his arms. Wanda was sleeping peacefully, as peacefully as she could knowing that there was a bomb in front of her, ready to explode at least. Sasha, on the other hand, was shivering madly and had a runny nose. They were all weak from their lack of water and food but they had to be strong. Someone would come. Someone had to come.

Sasha curled in on himself, his eyes still closed, as he coughed hard. Pietro sighed. They couldn't stay here any longer or else they would die anyway. "Ванда, проснись." __(Wanda, wake up.)__ Pietro said softly as he shook Wanda's shoulder slightly. "Надо выбираться." __(We need to move.)__

"Но бомба..." __(But the bomb...)__ Wanda started weakly.

"Мы больше не можем здесь оставаться." _ _(We can't stay here any longer.)__ He said as he slowly got up, Sasha still asleep in his arms, praying for the bomb to not explode.

Pietro allowed himself to sigh in relief when they finally were outside of the building, or the ruins at least. He was relieved to see that he and his siblings were safe and sound. "Давайте найдем безопасное место, где можно будет переночевать." __(Let's find somewhere safe to spend the night.)__

They walked slowly around the town, trying to find a house still standing. Pietro's world started to spin when four soldiers stopped them. "Where are your parents?" One of them asked but Pietro couldn't for the life of him understand what he meant. He looked up to see that they were Americans and he couldn't help but glare.

Another soldier sighed. "Где ваши родители?" _ _(Where are your parents?)__ He asked and Pietro didn't want to answer but he knew he couldn't act like he didn't understand, it would only put he and his siblings in danger.

"Они мертвы." __(They're dead.)__ He spat, still glaring at them.

"They're dead." The soldier said to another.

He sighed and shook his head. "What should we do? The younger one could come in handy but the older ones are useless. They're too old."

"Let's just leave them here then, we only take the younger one."

Pietro frowned deeply. He wanted to know what they were saying. They obviously were talking about he, Wanda and Sasha and he hated not knowing what they were saying. They could be planning their death for all he knew.

"Я возьму твоего маленького братика, хорошо?" __(I'm gonna take your little brother, okay?)__ The soldier told Pietro but the boy only shook his head. He didn't want to let go of Sasha. He didn't trust the soldiers enough to let them take him. They were Americans. What if they were planning to kill him because he was too young? "Ты слаб. Я отнесу его в безопасное место, клянусь." __(You're weak. I'll carry him to safety, I swear.)__

A soldier sighed. "We don't have enough time. He's a boy, just take the child and let's go." He growled out. Pietro didn't understand and he felt utterly helpless. Wanda was obviously scared for she was clutching Pietro's arm hard and was hiding behind his back.

"I'm sorry." The soldier who had been talking to him in russian said, his eyes flashing with regrets. He ripped Sasha from Pietro's arms, waking him up in the process and handed him over to the mean-looking soldier.

"Нет! Остановитесь!" __(No! Stop!)__ Pietro exclaimed as he watched the soldier walk away with a screaming and crying Sasha in his arms.

"Пьетро! Ванда!" __(Pietro! Wanda!)__ Sasha screamed restlessly as he kicked, trying to get away from the soldier.

"Отпусти его!" _ _(Let him go!)__ Wanda screamed as she and Pietro tried to escape the three other soldiers who were holding them back from running after their brother.

Pietro was angry. He couldn't let the man take his baby brother away. It was his job to take care of Sasha and Wanda and he was already failing. He couldn't fail. He started to kick around, hitting the soldiers anywhere he could reach. He managed to take down one soldier before he felt a fist collide with the side of his face. He fell to the floor and looked up just in time to catch sight of the soldier and Sasha's retreating forms.

Another bomb fell from a plane passing by, it fell not far from where the soldier was walking with Sasha in his arms. Wanda screamed. It was deafening and Pietro had to fight the urge to cover his ears. The bomb exploded, fire spreading around and it turned the soldier and Sasha into ashes.


	2. Chapter 2

__Sokovia, 2015.__

Pietro tossed and turned in his bed, still trying to get used to the changes. From what he had heard, Wanda was fairing much better than he did and he was actually glad. He had a hard time not losing his mind. Everything was just going too fast. __He__ was too fast.

He had known what to expect when he and Wanda joined the program though. They knew the risks and they knew that nothing would be as it used to but they still wanted to be part of the experiment. Nothing had been as they used to be since that fateful day fifteen years ago anyway. Nothing had been the same since Sasha's passing.

Pietro and Wanda had managed to escape the Americans after the bomb. They had fled and taken refuge in an abandoned house. They had managed to live and grow up, Pietro doing everything he could to take care of his sister while they were still mourning. He had allowed Wanda to be weak and to grieve and cry. He, on the other hand, had to be strong. They couldn't break down at the same time, they couldn't be weak at the same time. And so Pietro had put up a facade and allowed himself to be weak at night only. Wanda was relying on him and he couldn't let her down.

He had managed to find food. He didn't find much but it was enough for he and Wanda to survive. The Americans had fled the country ten months after Sasha's death and had allowed Sokovians to rebuild the city but Pietro and Wanda had remained hidden still. They had remained hidden for fourteen years until they had finally decided to join the rebellion fighting the gouvernment this time. They had seemed to forget about what happened ten years ago and had let the civilians down, only caring about their own comfort. That was when Hydra had come in.

A man named Wolfgang von Strucker had approached both he and Wanda as they were wandering the streets, trying to get rid of the gouvernment's soldiers. He had said that he had a solution, that he could make them strong enough to free their country but that they would need to remain with him for some time before being able to go back.

The twins had thought about it and they had come to the same conclusion, they would do it. They would do it for Sasha. Their little brother had known nothing but Sokovia and they were dead set on freeing it to honor their brother. It might have seemed stupid to others but it meant everything to them.

They had followed Strucker to his base far from the city, hidden in the middle of a forest. Once they had arrived, he had begun to explain the project. He had been experimenting on others before and very few of them had survived. Strucker had seen them in the streets and had been drawn in by their fire, he said. But Pietro wasn't buying it. He didn't call him on it though, he just remained silent and waited for Strucker to continue.

Strucker had then explained how things would go. Neither Pietro nor Wanda had understood much of it but they didn't dare ask questions. They waited for things to start. And next thing Pietro knew, he and Wanda were separated __for their own safety__ before his world became a blur.

It took him a while to understand that it was not the world that was fast, it was him. Strucker's experiment had worked and he was fast. He had spent weeks without hearing from either Strucker or Wanda. It had taken him months to settle and get used to his new abilities. Even now, nearly a year later, he still had trouble.

Strucker had come and told him that he needed something to focus on. Pietro took a deep breath and closed his eyes, setting his thoughts on Sasha. He knew he was the only one who would be able to keep him grounded, other than Wanda.

Pietro sat up at once, happy to notice that he wasn't being too fast, he was actually moving at a normal speed. The door of his room opened and a soldier appeared.

"Dress up." He ordered him as he tossed him some clothes.

Pietro caught them and frowned slightly. In the year he had spent here, it was the first time he was handed clothes. "Why would-" Pietro started but the soldier closed the door again, leaving Pietro alone.

He didn't miss the way his door wasn't locked back though. Pietro sighed and got rid of the dark rags he used as clothes before putting black clothes on. The dark tracksuit was a bit too large but he chose to ignore it. He couldn't wait to be outside of his room, which was more like a cell than anything else, and to be with Wanda. He wondered how she was. Strucker allowed them to see each other once a week but it was not enough. He __needed__ to see her right now.

Pietro slowly stepped out of the room and into the hallway where two soldiers were waiting for him. At the same time, a door on his left opened to reveal Wanda. She was dress up in black which amde his reddish brown hair stand out slightly. She had been lucky enough to keep her chestnut hair during the transformation, even though they had turned slightly reddish. Pietro had not been so lucky, his hair had turned silver. It had taken a long time for him to get used to it but eventually, he had grown fond of them. It was unique, much like himself.

"Ты в порядке?" _ _(Are you okay?)__ Pietro asked as he walked toward her, slightly faster than usual.

"No russian." One of the soldiers growled out.

"Yes, I'm fine." Wanda sighed as she briefly hugged Pietro.

He was relieved to be able to touch and hold her. Being able to see her once a week wasn't enough. Wanda was his only remaining family, his twin, he needed to be close to her, to protect her and make her feel safe. Something he had failed to do with Sasha.

"You've got an hour." The soldier said. "Strucker wants to see you in an hour and then back to your room." All the soldiers walked away, leaving he and Wanda completely alone for the first time since they had volunteered for Strucker's experiments.

"Do you think they are listening?" Wanda asked, gripping Pietro's jacket as she tried to soak in his body warmth, to feel safe.

Pietro took a look around, just to make sure that every soldier had left the area. "Nah, but it is weird." He sighed and brought his attention back to his sister. He cupped her face with both of his hands and looked her over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said, but Pietro knew that she was lying. He could read her as easily as an open book. He __knew__ that she didn't want to be here any more than he did.

"If only you could lie." Pietro sighed as he kissed her forehead. "Are you able to control yourself now?" Last time Pietro had asked her, she had told him she still had a lot of trouble.

"I'm better. I still have some headaches but I'm definitely better."

"Good." He stepped away from her and went back into his room. Pietro had only been waiting for Wanda to feel better. Now, it was time for them to leave. He slipped his hand under his tattered mattress and retrieved his most precious possession, his only possession really. It was a simple picture. Pietro had managed to save it from their destroyed appartment after the American soldiers had allowed he and Wanda to go, after Sasha's passing.

He and Wanda had wandered around the city. Wanda had been beyond inconsolable and Pietro had forced himself to stay strong. They had eventually decided to go back to their home, or what was left of it. Pietro had found the picture right before they left, he had almost missed it. The picture was of their whole family. Sasha had been three years old when the picture was taken. They looked happy. Not one day had gone by without Pietro looking at the picture at least once.

He refused to leave without the picture. It was the only thing he had left of his little brother. He looked at it for a second before folding it and putting it in his pocket. He tried to ignore the pang in his chest but it was hard. "Are you okay?" He heard Wanda ask from her place by the door.

Pietro whirled around and swallowed the lump that had fromed in his throat. He nodded and smirked, trying to hide his emotions the best he could. "I can control myself. I've always been better at it than you."

Wanda huffed. "That's what you like to think." She quickly turned around and walked back into the hallway, leaving Pietro alone with his thoughts.

He knew they had to leave and they had a chance to do so right now. There were no soldiers, Strucker was nowhere to be seen, it would probably be their only chance. Strucker had betrayed them, they __had__ to leave. They shouldn't be here. They should be in the streets, trying to free Sokovia. Strucker had tricked them into believing that he would help them free their country. Instead of keeping his promise, he had emprisoned he and Wanda here, feeding them lies after lies, making them think that they had to stay here.

But Pietro had had enough. He was tired of listening to Strucker. He was tired of staying here. He and Wanda had volunteered to be part of Strucker's experiment so they could be strong enough to free their country, so that they could be strong enough to avenge Sasha and make Tony Stark pay for what he had done. Being stuck in Strucker's base for a year had not been part of the deal. Strucker was nothing but yet another man who only saw his own interests and who was unable to keep a promise. He was no better than the Americans, no better than S.H.I.E.L.D., no better than the Avengers, no better than Tony Stark.

Pietro had realized that he couldn't trust anyone but Wanda. No one cared about Sokovia, no one cared about what Pietro and Wanda wanted, no one cared about the fact that Tony Stark was a murderer and that he had killed thousands of people. All they cared about was their own little world, their own petty problems. It had to end. Pietro was done working for people who didn't care.

"We have to leave." Pietro said as he joined his sister in the corridor.

"Почему?" __(Why?)__ Wanda frowned in confusion.

"Мы не можем оставаться здесь." __(We can't stay here.)__

Pietro was about to explain himself when he felt the whole building shake hard. Dust fell from the ceiling, covering Wanda's reddish brown hair and Pietro's silver one.

"Что происходит?" __(What's happening?)__ Wanda asked, looking frantically around.

Pietro hated that he wasn't able to provide her with an answer. He wanted to know what was going on. Loud alarms went off, making Wanda wince slightly. They were too loud for her. Pietro hated not knowing what was going on, he wanted to know what exactly was going on.

"Иди за мной." __(Follow me.)__ Pietro said as he pulled Wanda by the hand. He needed to find Strucker. He would know what was going on. Pietro just wanted to know what was wrong and then he and Wanda would take off and never come back anywhere near Strucker ever again.

They crossed path with an enormous amount of soldiers on their way through the base. None of them were paying them attention. They were too busy running around, screaming orders left and right. They were speaking too loudly and too fast for Pietro to pick up what they were saying but it looked like they were under attack. If they really were, he knew he and Wanda shouldn't stay here but he needed confirmation. Once he got it, he would pick Wanda up and run as fast as he could.

They decided to go where the soldiers all seemed to be coming from, assuming it would lead them right to Strucker. And they were right. It took them very little time to end up in the same room as Strucker. They stopped right at the entrance and merely listened.

Strucker was busy talking to another man, probably his second in command or something like that. His face seemed vaguely familiar but Pietro couldn't for the life of him remember who he was. Strucker briefly glanced at them but didn't seem to care that they were here. His voice lowered though. No matter what he was saying, he didn't want them to know anything about it. Pietro was determined to know though.

He managed to caught a few word. He heard enough to figure out that they were talking about he and Wanda. He heard something like 'attack' and 'Avengers'. This last word made him pause and he felt Wanda take hold of his hand, proof that she had heard it as well. The Avengers were here, in Sokovia. Pietro didn't care about the reason why they were here or why they were attacking Strucker's base. All he cared about was the fact that they were __here__. Tony Stark was a member of the Avengers which meant that he was here as well.

"О чем задумался?" __(What are you thinking about?)__ Wanda asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Старк здесь." _ _(Stark is here.)__ Pietro merely said. "Мы можем ему отомстить." __(We can make him pay, Wanda.)__

Wanda bit her lower lip and Pietro could see hesitation written all over her face. "Саша не..." __(Sasha did not-)__

"Саши больше нет." _ _(Sasha is not here.)__ Pietro cut her off, his voice harsh. "И это вина Старка. Мы можем его остановить. Ради Саши." _ _(And it's Stark's fault. We can stop him. For Sasha.)__

Pietro watched as several emotions appeared on his sister's face. She thought about his plan hard and Pietro could see that but he could also see that most of her thoughts were directed toward their late brother. Wanda then nodded slightly and it was all he needed. He kissed her forehead and took off, running outside of the base, where the Avengers were. He would take them all down while Wanda took care of the inside.

Pietro felt like it was his lucky day. He and Wanda could finally take revenge. They could avenge Sasha and make Tony Stark regret ever being born.


	3. Chapter 3

Pietro ran. He ran toward the enemy. He ran toward Stark. He knew fairly well that he would have to get rid of all the Avengers before he would be able to take down Stark. He did not like hurting people, it made him feel no better than those he hated so much. It made him feel like the ones who killed his brother. He did not want to be that kind of person. But he knew he had no choice. The Avengers would be collateral damage. Nothing more, nothing less. There was only one man he wanted to kill.

Tony Stark.

The first Avenger he saw was the archer. He couldn't for the life of him remember his name. His arrows were flying around, turning tanks into pieces. Pietro couldn't have that. He couldn't let the archer ruin everything. He would be the one to fall first then.

Pietro ran. He reached the bunker the archer had meant to blow up just in time, preventing the arrow from even grazing the bunker. He didn't miss the surprised look on the archer's face when the bunker didn't blow up. He smirked smugly as he ran to the archer. He bumped his shoulder into the archer's hard, sending him flying to the ground and preventing him from shooting another arrow the bunker's way.

"You didn't see that coming?" He smirked down at the archer who was staring at him in disbelief.

He ran once again. He went straight to another Avenger. Captain America. He sent him flying to the ground, just as he had done with archer, and fled. He realized that he did not have enough patience to deal with the Avengers right now. He wanted Stark and he wanted him _now_. He looked up, trying to catch sight of Stark flying around but he had no such luck. Stark was nowhere to be found.

He was not outside anymore.

Pietro hurried back inside the base, trying desperately to find his target. Wanda had remained inside and he couldn't risk Stark harming his sister. He had already killed his brother, he couldn't let him get anywhere near his sister. He knew fairly well that she could take care of herself but it was his job, he was supposed to keep her safe. He had already failed Sasha, he couldn't fail Wanda too.

He lost count of the number of soldiers he passed. They were running around, trying to defend themselves against the Avengers' invasion. They seemed to be on the verge of losing their minds. They didn't know which way to go, which attack to counter first. But Pietro didn't care. He had to find Wanda, he had to make sure she was okay. And then he had to find Stark, he had to end Stark's miserable life. Maybe then he would be able to forget the pain. Not forget Sasha, he would never be able to forget Sasha. He just wanted to get rid of the pain, the constant remainder that he had lost his little brother who had been so young and innocent. He wanted his heart to stop aching, to stop yearning for something that would never be. He would never get to see Sasha again. He wanted to stop waking up in the middle of the night shaking and sobing for his little brother. He had been sufering for too long and Stark's death could deliver him from this never-ending suffering. He knew that much.

He sped up when he felt remnants of Wanda's energy in the air. She was close. He passed what seemed to be a secret door and ran until he could see Wanda's reddish brown hair. She was looking at something Pietro couldn't see yet.

And then he saw it, he saw _him_. Stark. He was standing there, staring at what looked like a sceptre, without his precious armor on. It was their chance. They could take their revenge on Stark right now. He wouldn't even be able to fight back. He took a step toward his enemy but Wanda stopped him, pressing the back of her hand on his chest. He frowned and looked at her, trying to understand what the hell she was thinking. They would never get another opportunity such as this one.

"Wait." She whispered.

He looked back at Stark who was walking toward the sceptre. "We're just gonna let him take it?"

Wanda's only answer was a wicked grin as they watched Stark grabbing the sceptre before fleeing back to his friends. Pietro felt weak and powerless. He had been so close, Stark had been right there and he had let him slip right through his fingers. He knew deep down that they would never get another chance, they would never find Stark as helpless as he had been two minutes ago.

"Now what?" Pietro asked Wanda.

"Now we wait." She told him, looking right through him, as though she was somewhere else entirely.

"Why wait? We had our chance. It was perfect." He protested, trying to convince his sister that they had made a huge mistake.

"I saw something. We just need to wait, Pietro."

Pietro sighed. He had never been able to stand up to his sister anyway. He had waited for fifteen long years, a couple more days wouldn't change anything, right? "We need to get out of here."

He grabbed Wanda, carrying her bridal style and ran out of the base, ignoring the countless bodies of fallen soldiers. He ran until he reached the city. It had been a long time since he and Wanda had been there and he had to admit that he had kind of missed it.

He put Wanda down. "I'll be right back." He told her and kissed her cheek.

Hold habits died hard and so he went to some soldiers' homes and took things. Anything he could find, he took it, just as he had done before they went to the base to become a _better version of themselves_. He stole for the Sokovians, the ones who had lost everything. Stealing was easier now thanks to his new abilities and so he took more than he used to and went back downtown where he had left Wanda. There were always people there, around the market place, helping each other to survive somehow. Pietro knew his gifts would be welcome.

It was dark by the time he arrived at the market place. He put his bags down and looked around at the crowd that was gathering around him. He took a deep breath and began giving the things away. He grabbed a blanket and two boxes of biscuits and gave to a couple. "There you go."

"Thank you." The woman told him.

He then turned to an old man who he knew needed some medication. He looked into his bags and found some. "Ah." He said. "Are those the right ones?"

The old man looked at it. "Yeah." He looked back up at Pietro, his eyes wide with hope and gratitude.

"The doctor who refilled it... No more insurance hassle. I made a house call."

"How much?" The man to whom he had given a blanket and biscuits asked.

"No, no." Pietro said, shaking his head. He didn't want money. He didn't do it for money. He did it because he refused to look at people dying in the streets. He did it because he liked the way they smiled when he gave them what they needed.

He turned to a young blonde woman. He couldn't quite remember her name and he recognized her face. She was about he and Wanda's age and had helped him a few years ago when he had had trouble finding food for Wanda. He remebered that she had a brother. "This is for your brother." He said as he handed her a small soccer ball.

"Thank you." She smiled widely.

"And this," He began as he looked for the dress he knew he had stolen. He took it out of the bags and showed it to her. "is not for your brother."

"Oh, no.." She said as she took the dress. "This is too..." Her eyes were shining as she looked down at the golden dress.

"Is every girl in Sokovia getting a dress from Paris?" Wanda said as walked by, a frown on her face. "At least Gertie's looked warm." She added, looking straight at Pietro.

Pietro laughed nervously as the woman looked at him suspiciously. "She's kidding."

He sighed and ran to catch up with Wanda. He knew people would take what they needed, he didn't really care who got what as long as everybody got something. "You're jealous you're not getting a dress." He said, looking at her with a small mirk on his face.

"You keep stealing, you're going to get shot." He scoffed. He was not going to get shot. He was way too fast for someone to shoot him. She slapped his arm. "I mean it. At speed, nothing can touch you. But standing still..."

"Do you think I want to be?" He said, stepping right before her, forcing her to stop walking. He couldn't take it anymore. "You said "Wait." I'm waiting. I don't know for what. We had Stark helpless. All these years, and you-"

"Costel!" He heard someone yelling, cutting him off. He saw that blonde from earlier running right past them. "Costel, where did you go?" She asked.

Pietro turned around and his eyes fell on a boy. He looked a lot like Sasha, so frail and innocent. Pietro felt his heart ache and his eyes sting.

"The church." The boy, Costel, replied. "The man says you need to come to the church." He told Pietro and Wanda which made Pietro frown hard.

"What man?" Wanda asked.

"The Iron Man." The boy said.

Pietro's frown deepened. He looked at Wanda who had a matching expression on her face. She was lost as him. He couldn't mean Stark, could he? Why would Stark be here? "You don't think-" He asked Wanda, unable to finish his sentence.

Wanda shrugged. "How many Iron Men do you know?"

"Why would be here?"

"I guess we're going to find out." She said as she began walking toward the church. Pietro sighed once again and ran after her. He couldn't very well let her go alone. He would end Stark now. He wouldn't let Wanda stop him this time. He couldn't let Stark get away once again. Once was already enough.

The reached the church faster than Pietro remembered. He had completely forgotten that it was just across the market place. The church was in ruins. It had been a long time since people had given up praying. They didn't dare ask for help now. They didn't trust God anymore. Pietro couldn't deny the shiver that ran through as they walked past the gate. It was dark and scary here, away from the lights produced by the market. Stark could be hiding anywhere.

Pietro looked around, trying to catch sight of something, _anything_ that could be Stark until he saw him. Someone, Stark probably, slumped into the throne right in the middle of the room. Pietro couldn't see his face and it unnerved him.

"Talk," Wanda said, "and if you're wasting our time..."

"Did you know this church is in the exact centre of the city?" The man asked. It was not a man's voice though. It was too rough and robotic to be a man's voice. It was definitely not Stark's. "The elders decreed it so that everyone could be equally close to God. I like that, the geometry of belief."

A brown rug was covering the _thing_ 's head, hiding him further from sight. Pietro felt like ripping it off. "You're wondering why you can't look inside my head." The thing stated, obviously addressing Wanda.

"Sometimes it's hard." Wanda defended herself. Pietro could see that she was trying really hard but she didn't want to look weak. "But sooner or later, every man shows himself.

The thing suddenly stood up, the rug falling off of his head. Pietro took a step toward Wanda, ready to protect her no matter what. He barely could suppress a gasp when he saw what exactly had been hiding under the rug. It was a robot, a freaking robot made of silver iron and glowing red eyes. The boy not been lying, technically it was an iron man.

"Oh, I'm sure they do." The robot said, looking straight into Wanda's eyes who took a step back and nearly collided into Pietro's chest. "But you needed something more than a man. That's why you let Stark take the sceptre."

"I didn't expect, but I saw Stark's fear." Wanda said, looking straight back at the robot. "I knew it would control him, make him self-destruct." Pietro looked at his sister and finally understood. He understood why Wanda had wanted him to wait.

"Everyone creates the thing they dread." The robot said, as he began pacing. "Men of peace create engines of war, invaders create Avengers, people create... smaller people? Uh... Children!" He chuckled, he actually _chuckled_. Pietro could barely believe his own ears. "I lost the word, there. Children designed to supplant them, to help them end."

"Is that why you've come, to end the Avengers?" Wanda said. She wanted to make him say they were on the same side. She and Pietro wanted to end Stark but if they wanted to be able to end Stark, they knew they had to end the Avengers as well. Pietro had to admit the robot's help would be welcome.

"I've come to save the world, but also... Yeah." The robot admitted.

Pietro allowed himself to smirk. The robot clearly was on their side. They could use him to get to Stark. "How do we knew we can trust you?" Pietro asked, talking for the first time.

"We have the same goal, don't we?" Pietro could have sworn he saw a smile appear on the robot's lips. But robots couln't smile, could they? "Are you with me or not?"

Pietro looked at Wanda who was looking right back at him. "We are." Wanda said, not looking away from Pietro.

"Good." The robot chuckled. "Come with me then."

Pietro took a deep breath and followed the robot out of the church. They walked and walked until they reached the base. Pietro didn't want to be back here. He didn't want to be anywhere near the robot either. He made him nervous. Pietro didn't like him, he especially didn't like him being anywhere near Wanda. But he was their only way to get to Stark so Pietro he had to put up with him.

They entered the base and Pietro walked extremely close to Wanda, ready to protect her against anything that could be a danger to her. The robot led through the passageway and to the room in which Pietro had found Stark and Wanda earlier that day.

"We'll move out right away. This is a start, but there's something we need to begin the real work." The robot explained as he showed them around. There were at least a hundred robots working around. The sight made Pietro shiver. There were too many robots and they could turn on them at any time. Pietro didn't feel safe at all.

"All of these are-" Wanda began.

"Me." The robot finished. "I have what the Avengers never will. Harmony. They're discordant. Disconnected. Stark's already got them turning on each other. And when you get inside the rest of their heads..."

"Everyone's plan is not to kill them." Pietro cut him off. He couldn't let the robot believe Wanda would be the one to kill the Avengers. They didn't want to kill the Avengers. They didn't want to kill anyone, except Stark.

"And make them martyrs?" The robot finished. "You need patience, need to see the big picture."

"I don't see the big picture. I have a little picture. I take it out and look at it every day." Pietro said.

"You lost your parents and your brother in the bombings. I've seen the records." The robot replied, his voice emotionless.

"The records are not the picture." Pietro insisted. He was getting angry, he knew it. He could feel tears gathering in his eyes.

"Pietro." Wanda mumbled, trying to get him to stop.

"No, please." The robot said, motioning him to keep going.

Pietro looked at Wanda for a long time, looking at her tear-filled eyes. They were matching his own. "We were ten years old. Having dinner, the five of us." Wanda looked away from him, unable to hide her pain. "When the first shell hits, two floors below, it makes a hole in the floor." Pietro looked away from his sister, seeing her pained expression made his own pain all the more real. "It's big. Our parents go in and the whole building starts coming apart. I grab her and our brother, roll under the bed, and the scond shell hits. But it doesn't go off. It just sits there in the rubble, three feet from our faces. And on the side of the shell is painted one word." Piero laughed humorlessly, tring to hide his pain. "Stark. We were trapped for two days."

"Every effort to save us, every shift in the bricks, I think 'this will set it off'." Wanda contined. "We wait for two days for Tony Stark to kill us."

"And then we get out. We are safe. Until soldiers come and take our brother away. The soldier runs and runs until another shell hits. And our brother is gone. Just like our parents. He was five." Pietro swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, willing his tears away. "I know what they are."

"I wondered why only you two survived Strucker's experiments. Now I don't. We will make it right." The robot nodded in emphasis. "You and I can hurt them." He told Pietro. "But you," He walked to Wanda, "will tear them apart from the inside."

Pietro looked around him as they finally arrived on the salvage yard on the African Coast. Ultron had said they would find what they needed here. Pietro could only see abandoned ships around him though.

"We need a ship?" Pietro asked.

"No, we don't. What we need is inside." Ultron replied. "I need you to find Klaue." He showed them a picture of the man. "That shouldn't be too hard, he commands the whole ship."

Pietro nodded and took off with Wanda in his arms, he didn't need any more explaination. They went to take the power off, it would be easier to take Klaue by surprise then. They found easily. He was apart from all the men inside the ship, and he was alone.

The man was swift though, he nearly shot Wanda before Pietro got to him. He bumped into the man and put the bullet back on the table to the others before motioning Wanda to come out of the dark.

"Yeah." Klaue chuckled. "The Enhanced. Strucker's prize pupils." He sat down on a stool, smiling as though it was a situation he faced every day. "Do you want a candy? Hmm?" He asked, holding a bowl full of candies out. He put it back on the table when neither Pietro nor Wanda budged. "I was sorry to hear about Strucker. But then, he knew what kind of world he was helping create. Human life. Not a growth market."

Pietro frowned and looked at Wanda. He hadn't known about that. "You- You didn't know?" Klaue asked. "Is this your first time intimidating someone? I'm afraid I'm not that afraid." He shrugged carelessly.

"Everybody is afraid of something." Wanda stepped in.

"Cuttlefish." Klaue said out of the blue. "Deep sea fish. They make lights, disco lights," He imitated what Pietro guessed to be a cuttlefish, "to hypnotize their prey, and then," he suddenly reached out, grabbing thin air, yet again imitating a cutlefish, "I saw a documentary. It was terrifying."

Pietro couldn't help glancing at the candies. It had been years since he had tasted one and he missed the sweet taste on his tongue. He finally gave in and ran to take one, taking Klaue by surprise.

"So if you're going to fiddle with my brain and make me see a giant cuttlefish, then I know you don't do business and I know you're not in charge. And I only deal with the man in charge." Klaue said as he stood up, clearly trying to scare Pietro and Wanda off.

Pietro wasn't impressed though. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ultron appear right before he broke the glass and grabbed Klaue by the neck. He threw him out of the room they were in without hesitation.

"There is no man in charge." Ultron said, as he stood over Klaue. "Let's talk business. I want every bit of vibranium you have." Klaue nodded. "Good boy."

Ultron let Klaue stand up. Pietro watched the whole thing from the sidelines. He followed Klaue and Ultron to a hidden compartment where the vibranium was supposed to be.

"Upon this rock, I will build my church." Ultron quoted. "Vibranuim." Ultron said as Klaue handed him some. He threw it to Pietro who caught it easily. It was light, lighter than Pietro had expected.

"You know, it came at a great personal cost." Klaue said, as he reached up to touch some sort of scar on his neck. "It's worth billions."

Ultron chuckled."Now so are you." A phone ringed and Klaue's friend took his phone out. "It's all under your dummy holdings. Finance is so weird. But I always say, 'keep your friends rich and your enemies rich and wait to find out which is which.'"

It was kind of poetic. Yet again, Pietro didn't have much experience concerning poetry.

"Stark." Klaue said. Now _that_ was what interested Pietro.

"What?" Ultron asked.

"Tony Stark used to say that. To me. You're one of his." Klaue explained.

"What? I'm not." Ultron grabbed Klaue arm. Apparently, it had been the wrong thing to say. Pietro reminded himself to keep that in mind.

Klaue's friend took his gun out, ready to shoot but Wanda mentally stopped him, keeping the gun down by his side.

"I'm not." Ultron continued. "You think I'm one of Stark's puppets? His hollow men? I mean, look at me. Do I look like Iron Man? Stark is nothing!" Ultron exclaimed, promptly cutting Klaue's arm off.

Pietro took a step back in surprise. He had not been expecting that. He didn't dare move. He didn't know how to feel about Ultron's outburst. But he didn't have anything to fear, right? They were on Ultron's side. He wouldn't harm them, would he? Yet again, Klaue had been on Ultron's side, sort of.

"I'm sorry, I'm- Oh!" Ultron apologized quickly. "I'm sure that's gonne ba okay. I'm sorry. It's just that I don't understand. Don't compare me with Stark." He yelled before kicking Klaue right in the face, sending flying down the stairs.

"It's a thing with me. Stark is... He's a sickness!" Ultron continued, working himself up in a frenzy.

"Ah, Junior." Pietro heard Stark say. He turned around in time to see Stark in his iron suit, landing in front of Captain America and Thor. "You're gonna break your old man's heart."

"If I have to." Ultron replied.

"Nobody has to break anything." Thor said.

"Clearly you've never made an omelette." Normally, Pietro would have laughed at Ultron's comment but he was not in the mood right now. Stark was right in front of him. His _family's_ _murdered_ was right in front of him.

"He beat me by one second." Stark told Thor.

"Ah, yes. He's funny." Pietro said. The mere sound of Stark's voice made him angry. "It's what? Comfortable? Like old times?" He asked, looking down at the countless bombs that were lying around, waiting to blow up.

"This was never my life." Stark denied.

"You two can still walk away from this." Captain America stepped in.

"Oh, we will." Wanda replied from behind him and Pietro couldn't help but be proud of his sister.

"I know you've suffered."

Ultron scoffed, cutting Captain America off. "Captain America, God's righteous man, pretending you could live without a war. I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but-"

"If you believe in peace, then let us keep it." Thor cut Ultron off.

"I think you're confusing 'peace' with 'quiet'."

"Uh-huh. What's the vibranium for?" Stark asked.

"I'm glad you asked that because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan." Ultron said, and Pietro could literally see the sarcasm spilling out of his mouth.

He didn't know how but Ultron managed to turn himself into a kind of magnet and drew Stark to him. And then all hell broke loose. Some kind of red laser came out of Ultron's hand, matching Stark's white one and hit Stark right in the chest, sending him flying into a container. Stark and Ultron flew toward each other, ready to fight and Pietro took that as his cue to move.

He ran and hit Thor in the chest but God was incredibly strong and he only took a step back in surprise. The other Avengers then appeared. Fighting as well. Pietro ran avoiding any obstacle and went to hit Captain America. He punched him into his perfect face making him fall on his back. He then ran toward Thor, wanting to punch him until he managed to make him kneel. However, he caught sight of Thor's hammer. He could probably use it to hit Thor. It would certainly make some damage.

He grabbed the handle of the hammer but instead of him controlling the hammer, the hammer seemed to control him. The hammer continued its course as though Pietro hadn't touched, it took Pietro along, sending him flying over the guard-rail and down into a pile of hard suitcases.

"Ow." Pietro groaned. Every inch of his body hurt like hell. He couldnt stay down though, staying down meant being vulnerable. He got up slowly only to be knocked back down by the Captain's shield. Pietro could have sworn he saw stars.

"Stay down, kid." He heard the Captain say but his voice was muffled as though Pietro was underwater.

Pietro shook his head to clear his mind. "Thor, status." He heard the Captain say. Pietro forced himself to stand up. The Captain's back was to him, he could take him by surprise. He shook his head once again to stop his world from spinning and ran right into the Captain's back. He flew and collided right into a flight of stairs. He took another deep breath as looked at Wanda playing with the Captain's mind.

Pietro saw his sister approach the archer. He was supposed to be the weak one. But just as she was about to play with him, he swiftly turned around and attached an arrow to her forehead, making her convulse hard.

"I've already done the whole mind control thing. Not a fan." He said.

He hurried to his sister. He would hurt the archer for harming his sister. He pushed out a window and was by his Wanda's side just in time to catch as she fell unconscious. He carried her bridal style and ran outside. He couldn't stay here. On of them had already harmed Wanda, he couldn't risk them harming her any furhter. His desire to end Stark wasn't worth his sister's life. Stark could wait.

Wanda groaned as she blinked her eyes open. "Put me down." She panted as she held her head in her hands.

Pietro sighed and put her down on a rock right outside the ship. He didn't know what to do. Wanda obviously was in deep pain and he hated that. He hated seeing her suffering. "What can I do?" He asked as he knelt down in front of her.

"It hurts." Wanda groaned.

Wanda didn't deserve to suffer so much. "I'm going to kill him. I'll be right back." He said. He would kill the archer, just as he would kill Stark.

"No." Wanda stopped him. "I'm alright." She panted. "I want- I want to finish the plan. I want the big one."


End file.
